Totally amazing first week

Totally amazing first week that has flown by because we have not stoppped learning new things-from diving skills and knowledge to identifying fish, corals and other benthic organisms.

That’s not to say all our experiences have been of the studious kind…not at all-loads of new food in a variety of friendly local restaurants, meeting the locals at the shops and at Cabana Bar-imagine a ship wreck on a beach full of funky seating, entertainment and soooo chilled out-the perfect place to end a day’s diving.

I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to see so much wildlife right here in Tioman-not just on the reefs but outside our rooms-minor birds, squirrels, monitor lizards, beautiful butterflies and birds of paradise, fishing eagles, monkeys not to mention the cute feral cats, mozzies, ants and spiders!

Here are 6 volunteers on this, the 7th expedition for Blue Ventures in Malaysia: 3 Brits, a Belgian, a Malaysian and an American-3 boys, 3 girls.

We live in the long houses 30m from the sea in traditional wooden houses. We are rubbing along fine together-and the residents seem to be friendly-just kidding they’re great and have made us feel very welcome.

I’m looking forward t next week as we start surveying the reefs properly-for bleaching as the water temp is 30 degrees!!!